Golf device and method

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable device and a method for monitoring the performance a sportsman performing a plurality of motor acts, such as golf swings. The device comprises at least one sensor providing an output signal, the sensor being responsive to body movements of the sportsman. A signal processing unit is used for extracting data on the course of each of the plurality of motor acts from the sensor output signal, and a computing unit is used for determining, based on the data on the course of the plurality of motor acts, at least one characteristic number describing the repeatability of the motor act. By the means of the invention, the handicap number of the golfer can be predicted with good accuracy by monitoring several his or her subsequent swings.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The invention relates to golfing. In particular, the invention relates to a device for analyzing and developing skills of a player. The invention also concerns a method for analyzing the performance of the player during training or playing. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] Golf is based on one's ability to predict the trajectory of a ball in response to a certain combination of swing and club. Swings of golfers are traditionally analyzed either by naked eye during the hit or by recording the swings using video equipment and analyzing them afterwards. In both cases, for a proper analysis of the pros and cons of the swing, a professional golf trainer is usually needed. Naked-eye and video-based evaluation of swings suits well for discerning major faults in, for example, the stance and alignment of the golfer and the movement of the body of the golfer during the swing. The results of such evaluation are also...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] It is an aim of the invention to achieve a novel device for helping sportsmen improve their skills by providing information on the repeatability of a motor act, especially a two-phase act such as a golf swing, that is frequently needed in the sport they go in for.

[0013] In particular, it is an aim of the invention to achieve a novel device and method for helping a golfer improve his or her skills by providing information on the repeatability of the swing of the golfer.

[0015] It is a further aim of the invention to achieve a device that assists a golfer to focus his or her training on a specific part of the swing.

[0026] The determined characteristic numbers of the swing of a player have been found to correlate well with the handicap (hcp) of the player. However, the index number describes the swing of the player more exactly, because the hcp is calculated by the overall performance of a player, including also the “swingless” areas of the game, such as mental and environment-dependent aspects of the game and putting. Hence, the characteristic number, especially the swing index number, determined by means of the invention, is a reliable measure of the hitting skills of a golfer.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the device informs the player which sector or sectors of the swing should be improved in order to make the swing more repeatable. This can happen by, after a predetermined number of swings, displaying several characteristic numbers representing different properties of the swing, to the user. This enables the player to concentrate his training on the weakest sector of the swing in order to enhance his or her skills towards more accurate shots. Alternatively or additionally, a swing index number representing the reproducibility of the swing as a whole can be displayed. In addition to displaying the results, there may be implemented also some advanced features in the device. The device can, for example, detect that the duration of the backswing fluctuates unacceptably much with respect to the fluctuations in the duration of the downswing and advice the player to concentrate on clean backswings in further training, or vice versa.

Problems solved by technology

For a golf trainee, it may be frustrating if several professional have different, probably opposing, views of the pros and cons of his or her shots.

What is difficult to exactly evaluate by visual observation of the golfer, is the temporal progression of the swing and especially the similarity of two or more swings.

In addition, hiring of a personal trainer having a suitable video equipment is very expensive, and the video equipment is difficult to carry.

However, such solutions usually change the properties of the club, whereby the measurement results may be unreliable.

In monitoring the swing as a whole, or increasing or analyzing the attained muscle memory needed in golf, the present solutions are more unfavorable.

If one or some of the preceding factors, for example, are irregular, the whole swing, and ultimately the flight path of the ball becomes unpredictable.

There are no known devices or methods which can be used for automatically and objectively analyzing the swing of a golfer in order to assist the golfer to improve his or her skills as a golf player.

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